Home inspections

Updated March 24, 2020 

As a regulator, we have responsibilities to all our stakeholders, which includes delivering on certain services. We also believe that it’s important to be especially thoughtful and caring during this time. Sometimes those two things can seem at odds with each other – managing our business and following the law with being compassionate towards the needs of our licensed businesses. We are trying to balance those things to the best of our ability during this difficult and changing time. We ask for your patience and your trust while we navigate these waters.

Your licence renewal

We understand how important it is for your business to be able to continue operating in a time of social distancing, and possible quarantine. If you are operating and providing home inspection services, you must be licensed by us but if you need a little more time to renew, we are extending the deadline until April 15, 2020.

You may also be considering suspending your operations during the pandemic. If you do that, as long as you are not offering any home inspection services, you can have until June 30, 2020 to reinstate your licence with no requirement to re-qualify. You can also adjust your insurance coverage dates, if possible. When you start operating again, you will pay a pro-rated renewal fee and you don’t need to apply for an entirely new licence or meet the education and training requirements. You will need your insurance documentation in place.

Please contact our office if you decide to suspend your operations and then again within the 3 months when you would like to re-instate your licence.

If you’ve already renewed and paid or sent us your renewal form, please understand that we are not in a position to provide refunds and your licence remains issued and in good standing until 2021.

Safe work practices

We are monitoring government communications regarding essential and critical services and we don’t currently expect home inspectors to be designated under these emergency measures. Until such time as an order is made respecting further isolation or quarantine, including business closures, we urge you to observe the orders and guidelines being issued by provincial health authorities and the Provincial Health Officer.

Here are some reliable sources for information about COVID-19, including practical guidance about preventing the contraction and spread of the virus from the BC Centre for Disease Control and the Canada Public Health Agency

We are consistently monitoring and reassessing the impact of this pandemic and we will let you know of any updates as quickly as we can. Please keep checking this page for updated information.

You can also find out more about BC government’s COVID-19 Provincial Support and Information here, including help for businesses and other government resources.

If you have questions about your licence or choose to close your business, please contact our Licensing and Information Services team.